Love at first sight.
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We all know how easy it is to ‘Netflix and chill’ with somebody these days. We can find a date within a matter of ‘swipes’ or even just a ‘casual friend’ at a click of a button.
Kate and William at University…
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But back in 00s the only way to meet someone new was to actually engage in conversation with people around you.
So whilst a lot of millennials would shiver in fear at the thought of approaching someone they fancied to ask them out, 80s baby William jumped at the chance of asking his future bride out on a date…
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She was an instant hit with his family…
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But, when you’re the future King of England and you’ve got eyes on you at all times, it’s easier said than done to just ‘pick up a bird’.
Lucky for Prince Willy, he lived with Kate in St. Salvator’s Hall during their first year of uni; however, it wasn’t until he saw her strut her stuff in a fashion show that he realised he saw her as more than ‘just a friend’.
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The pair dated for a long time before getting engaged…
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It turns out William’s just like any other red-blooded male – it only took Kate to show a bit of flesh for him to come running: it was in their second year when the pair shared an apartment together with friends that their romance started brewing.
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Her scar.
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Now I don’t know about you but I get serious hair envy whenever I see a photo of the Duchess.
Kate’s scar…
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I know she’s probably got a hairdresser on hand most times of the day, but c’mon, how does her hair always look so goddamn perfect?
Whether she’s got her hair up in a chic ponytail, half up half down or just natural, she always looks so effortlessly perfect, almost like she’s ready to appear in a shampoo commercial.
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She managed to hide it for a long time…
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What a lot of people don’t know though, is that she’s hiding a huge scar on the side of her head, which she managed to keep unnoticed until after her marriage to the Prince.
Worried commentators speculated Kate had undergone emergency surgery but soon after, Buckingham Palace released a statement where they said:
“The scar is related to a childhood operation.”
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Kate hasn’t explained how she got the scar when she was younger…
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John Scurr, a consultant surgeon at the Lister Hospital in London told the Daily Mail: “I really doubt it was any serious medical condition.
“I would say it is as a result of an arteriovenous malformation – a birthmark – being removed.”
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She was bullied in school.
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It doesn’t come as much of a surprise to find out that Kate asked her guests to donate to anti-bullying charity, Beatbullying, at her wedding.
School picture…
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After only lasting two terms at Downe House School in Berkshire, Kate’s parents moved her to Marlborough College after she claimed she was being bullied.
As a day girl and not a boarder, she was already in the minority in an already very cliquey environment.
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Thowback Thursday…
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Mother-of-three Kate was picked on for being ‘skinny’ and ‘meek’; girls called her names, stole her books and isolated her from the other groups of girls.
Kate and husband William have, on more than one occasion, talked about why anti-bullying charities resonate with them.
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Kate was on her school hockey team…
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It’s easy to understand why the pair of them want to help other people deal with their own issues with bullying…
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Red, red wine.
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When you type Kate Middleton into Google, the images you’re going to find are of the Duchess on trips with the Royal family, some when she’s at Royal events, others from her wedding day.
Kate’s a big drinker…
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If you scroll deeper you might find photos of her when she was a young girl and when she was at university with William. However, photos you’re definitely not going to find are Kate falling out of taxis drunk and apart from the odd few from when she was at University, it’s unlikely you ever will.
But what might come as a surprise to you is Kate is actually a bit of a drinker; in fact, it’s a well-known fact among the Royals that she can drink William under the table.
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Who doesn’t look a glass of red wine…
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What might shock you, even more, is that one of her favourite drinks is Jack Daniels, but her usual go to drink is a nice glass of red wine (oooooh, who can say no to a nice glass of red…I know I can’t).
Kate Middleton even co-founded the female drinking society at St Andrew’s University. Blimey. She’s incredible!
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Or a pint…
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Not only does our favourite Royal love a good drink, but she also used to enjoy a night out down London town; Kensington club Boujis to be exact, the place that served her favourite cocktail, “Crack Baby”.
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“Waity Katie”.
Now, I don’t know about you but I like to know someone properly before I walk down the aisle with them and it seems Kate does too.
Kate and her sister Pippa…
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Unlike lots of celebrities out there (the Kardashians cough cough) who marry their fellas after just a few weeks of knowing them, Kate and William decided to leave it a little longer.
In fact, the press called Catherine “Waity Kate” because of how long she and Wills had dated without getting engaged.
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Kate in University…
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After graduating university, the pair seemed sickeningly in love for quite some time, until the spring of 2007 when the Prince dumped his Princess over the phone (nice) – he wasn’t ready to get married apparently.
According to reports, his father didn’t want him rushing into marriage like he did with Princess Diana (what a catastrophe that was ey!).
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She was hounded by the press after their break up…
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Fortunately, it only took William a few months to realise that he couldn’t live without ‘the one’; they were back together three months later and by the Autumn of 2010, the Prince had proposed to his Princess. The rest as you say…is history.
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Kate and her ‘recycling’.
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Anyone who remembers the beautiful Princess Diana, will also remember her ‘extravagant’ wardrobe collection, surely?
Kate’s recycled outfits…
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When you’re part of one of the richest royal families in the world, you don’t need to worry about ‘budgeting’ – there’s no shopping in Aldi for your weekly shop, no rooting through the sale racks in Next and no saving your coppers for a rainy day.
But it seems Kate hasn’t taken after her late mother-in-law, who spent over £360,000 in three months on outfits…
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Her Alexander McQueen coat she recycled for Harry and Meghan’s wedding…
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The thrifty Duchess is known for recycling a lot of her beautiful outfits: often being photographed in the same items of clothing for high profile occasions – Harry and Meghan’s wedding for example.
Being the future Queen of England, the Duchess has the ability to grab headlines everywhere she goes, however, when she’s going to certain ‘royal occasions’, she often wears an outfit she’s worn before to avoid stealing the limelight from other people.
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‘That’ Polka Dot dress…
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Not only does she recycle her expensive items of clothing; she’s also been seen wearing high-street outfits more than once – we all remember her ‘sell-out’ Topshop polka dot dress she wore twice, don’t we?
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“The Duchess”.
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On her never-ending quest for fame, Kim Kardashian designed a pair of shoes, especially for Kate’s 30th birthday in the hope that she would impress the future Queen of England.
Kim’s Duchess shoes…
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Now, a lot of people out there would be absolutely buzzing to find out a celebrity had named a pair of shoes after them, but it seems Kate wasn’t so enamoured with the idea of Kimmy K gifting her a pair of shoes called “The Duchess”.
The Keeping up with the Kardashians star and her team at US online fashion subscription service ShoeDazzle described the shoe on the site as: “classic quilting and graceful silhouette channels the Duchess’s classic style.”
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Kim K is a big fan of Kate’s…
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Reality star, Kim, even released a video on YouTube wishing ‘the Duchess’ a Happy Birthday as well as a free pair of shoes – you know, because Kate’s so short of money that she can’t afford to buy her own ‘classic, quilted stiletto heels’…
Anyway, you probably guessed that Kate’s a little more classy than trashy – she sent the heels straight back, politely declining the offering.
Luckily for Kimmy K, it was nothing personal; apparently, Kate’s just not allowed to accept ‘unsolicited gifts’.
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I wonder what Kate thinks of Kim…
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A representative of Kate Middleton told MailOnline: “In general terms, the policy of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is not to accept any unsolicited gifts unless the sender is known personally to His or Her Royal Highness.
“Any such gifts are returned to the sender with thanks and an explanation of Their Royal Highnesses’ policy.”
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Vogue.
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It’s not often you see a member of the Royal Family on the front cover of a fashion magazine. They’re usually too busy travelling the world or posing for oil paintings, aren’t they?
Kate’s Vogue article…
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Well in 2016, it seemed Kate, a keen photographer herself, decided she would agree to do a front page shoot for one of the world’s most famous magazines: Vogue.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen a royal on the front page – Princess Diana graced the cover of the magazine four times; her final cover taken in 1997, the year of her death – but it seems that Kate is a tricky lady to track down for interviews and ‘photoshoots’.
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She decided how she wanted the shots to be taken…
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The 100-year issue featured natural photographs of the brunette beauty in the Norfolk countryside, where she currently lives with her family.
Although she’s one of the most photographed women in the world, she isn’t someone who feels entirely comfortable in front of a camera lens – but there’s no denying she looks just as radiant as ever in her photos.
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The photoshoot took place near her childhood home…
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Rather than dressing in her usual attire, Kate wanted to wear things she would on her days off: jeans, boots and t-shirts. Just like the rest of us.
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The first Royal wife to have a what?!
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Calm down…it’s nothing bad, in fact, Catherine should be very proud considering she’s the first ‘royal wife’ to hold a degree.
Kate at Uni…
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After meeting ‘her’ William at the University of St. Andrews, Kate not only left with a Prince (literally) but also a degree in the History of Art.
The mother of three graduated in 2005 with a 2:1; although the Duchess doesn’t work (in the sense that most Brits do), her degree stood her in good stead for a few other things…
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Their first child…
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As a patron of many charities (numerous artistic institutions), Kate’s extensive knowledge of art will definitely be put to good use in these roles.
The Art Room and National Portrait Gallery are among some of the charities Kate is the patron of – allowing her to use her Uni degree on a daily basis.
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Kate at The Art Room…
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Kate’s role as patron to these charities means she will help raise awareness for the charity’s causes.
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The Duchess of Cambridge public house.
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This ‘not so Royal establishment’, near St Mary’s hospital in London was named after Kate in 2011, shortly after the Royal wedding.
When Kate married into the Royal family, a pub was named after her…
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“It’s something you can’t really avoid – it’s all over the place,” bartender Ollie Rose tells PEOPLE in reference to the surrounding buzz.
“Whether you want to hear about it or not, you’re going to hear about it.”
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The Duchess of Cambridge pub…
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The pub, which sits quietly on a corner in West London, was originally named The Queen of England…
But the landlord decided to mix things up a little to celebrate the newly married ‘Cambridges’.
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Kate Cambridge…
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You know you’ve made it in life when a pub has been named after you…
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Kate’s weird wedding present.
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When you think about how many guests attended Kate and William’s 2011 wedding, it makes you a little bit sick to think about all the presents they must have received…
Boris with a Boris bike…
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The ceremony took place on April 29, 2011, at Westminister Abbey with around 1,900 guests: including foreign royalty, prime ministers, religious figures and celebrities from around the world.
In the months running up to the wedding, the soon-to-be-married couple set up a gift fund held by The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry – it allowed the public to donate money to charities they were involved with: the armed forces, children, the elderly, art, sport and conservation.
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The happy couple at their wedding…
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However, Boris Johnson being the man he is decided that donating money wasn’t good enough for the newlyweds, so decided to gift them a tandem bike as well – on behalf of the people of London of course.
Earlier in the day, the mayor, who attended the service at Westminster Abbey, said: “I am delighted to have this amazing opportunity, on behalf of London, to wish Prince William and Kate Middleton a long, prosperous and joyous life together.
“It’s a fantastic day for the city and obviously it shows the city off at its best.
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Kate and Will at their engagement…
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He said: “I look forward to seeing the newly-weds on tandem wheels as they start their new life in Anglesey.”
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‘Self-made millionaires’.
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The Middletons were sort of known as ‘commoners’ to the public as the wedding was approaching. I mean, when you compare them to the Royal family they sort of are, but in reality they’re far from it…
Michael and Carole Middleton…
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Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael, started their life off together like most other people. Michael worked as a flight dispatcher at British Airways where he met his wife, Carole, who worked as a flight attendant.
Their relationship went from strength to strength and when Carole found out she was pregnant with Kate, she quit her job and decided to start her own business instead – the business that turned them into multimillionaires.
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Kate’s side of the family…
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So yes, you can call them self-made millionaires; they’ve built their own business empire from the ground up but they’re far from the ‘commoners’ a lot of us thought they were.
Michael and Carole have an estimated worth of around £37 million – proving just how successful and hardworking the Middletons are.
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They’re all successful business people…
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Not only have they become extremely successful, but they’ve ‘produced’ a brood of kids, that too have become very successful.
Their son James is the president of his own business empire, Pippa is a successful writer and publisher and Kate, well…
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Kate’s ancestry.
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A lot of us out there don’t really know who we’re related to past our great grandparents’ era.
Kate is related to some famous people…
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Some of us might be lucky enough to have a family tree to find out we’re related to farmers, politicians or maybe even golden age actors – but no one really that interesting (no offence).
Kate is British by blood and by heart, but it appears she has some very interesting relations not just in the UK…
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She’s related to celebrities and politicians…
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Not only does Kate come from a line of successful and rich business people, but she’s also distantly related to the late George Washington: the first president of the United States.
She is in fact, an eighth cousin eight times removed from old Georgey Porgey – not only that, but she’s also distantly related to the Lewis and Clark expedition’s, Meriwether Lewis and IS Army General George S. Patton.
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Kate and William on tour…
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Famous American names aren’t the only roots of the Middletons, they’re also connected to British filmmaker Guy Ritchie – you know…Madonna’s ex-fella.
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Kate and tennis.
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Everyone’s got a hobby, whether it’s running, eating out (less healthy) or getting drunk every weekend (we’re all guilty of it), we all enjoy winding down.
She’s a keen tennis player…
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However much it would amuse us all to see Kate stumbling out of a taxi drunk on a Friday night, it’s never going to happen.
Being the Duchess of Cambridge means she’s on the move, visiting various ‘important people’ in different locations across the globe, which means she has to be fit and healthy – it’s hard work after all.
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You’ll always see her at Wimbledon…
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Kate developed a love for tennis at a young age; alongside her parents and siblings, she likes to practise as much as she can.
In fact, the Middletons like practising so much that they’re members of the Queen’s Club in London, which costs £14,000 per year (I’m sure Queeny would give them discount though, considering Kate’s part of the family).
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She grew up playing tennis with her family…
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The private tennis club hosts an annual tennis tournament, Queen’s Club Championships, houses 28 outdoor courts and 8 indoor courts.
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Kate’s crush.
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Back in the 90s, we all had our eyes on the likes of Peter Andre, Gareth Gates, So Solid Crew’s MC Harvey (don’t even try to deny it) and even our very own Prince William.
Kate in the 90s…
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I couldn’t have been the only one who tore pictures of my favourite ‘men’ out of the back of magazines and stuck them to my bedroom walls, surely?
She might be a Royal nowadays, but back in the 90s, Kate was just like any other young girl – hoping and praying they would grow up, somehow cross paths with her crush, marry them and live happily ever after.
Well, in this particular instant, Kate’s dreams did come true…
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She married her Prince…
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In Andrew Morton’s William & Catherine: Their Story, her friend Jessica Hay said:
“We would sit around talking about all the boys at school we fancied, but Catherine would always say: ‘I don’t like any of them. They’re all a bit rough.’ Then she would joke: ‘There’s no one quite like Prince William.’
I don’t know about you, but I’m still waiting to cross paths with Gareth Gates and live happily ever after with him, but I may as well face facts that it’s never going to happen.
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Kate started dating William in 2002…
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Before Kate house shared with her future hubby, she dated Willem Marx, now a journalist and law student Rupert Finch – I bet they’re kicking themselves now…
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What would she have done with her life if she hadn’t become a Royal?
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We all know the Duke and Duchess met when they were at University together. We all know they were together for quite some time before they announced their engagement in 2010 and we all know they split up for a few months before they realised they couldn’t live without each other.
Kate was followed around by the paparazzi as soon as they found out she was dating William…
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But what would have actually happened to Kate if they hadn’t had got back together? I definitely couldn’t imagine her working a normal 9-5 job like the rest of us, can you?
Well, it turns out Kate already had her life planned out before she was whisked off her feet by her handsome Prince.
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She’s just as popular as her husband…
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Following in her parent’s footsteps, Catherine had decided she wanted to open her own business and launch her own children’s clothing line…
(We’re assuming it would have been one of those high-end stores where a pair of child’s socks would cost you more than your mortgage).
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She’s the perfect Royal…
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But it doesn’t just end there. Coming from a very well off family puts you at an immediate advantage in life – with financial help and already a great platform, Kate and her brother James planned on opening their own bakery and donating proceeds to disadvantaged youths.
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